The present invention relates generally to a method for repairing components, and, more specifically, to a method capable of depositing a hybrid metal coating to repair, to improve and to extend the service life of components.
It is well known that mechanical components, for example, sliding components such as piston-cylinders and gate valves, or rolling-sliding components such as cams and gears, undergo micro-pitting and cracking during service due to material issues and/or prolonged running even in a well-lubricated running condition. The damages happen essentially due to the high stresses at the mating interface, for example, at tooth of gears. Restoring the mating interfaces of the damaged components become an important issue and it is a challenge to get them back to operable condition with appropriate repair technique, as it may be expensive to replace those damaged components. Moreover, in some circumstances, in order to extend the life of a component, it might be desired to further treat the repaired surface of the component to improve the tribological and/or corrosion performance.
Therefore, it is desired to provide an effective way to repair/restore components, and further improve the tribological and/or corrosion performance of the components and extend the service life of the components.